Forgotten Stephen King Project Deserves a Second Chance Despite Its Criminally Low RT Score

Stephen King knows how to deliver a horror masterpiece. His works have shaped generations of genre's fans. Think about The Shining (1980), It (2017), Misery (1990) and so many more. The list just goes on and on. However, among this rich collection of works is a unique project that stands apart from the rest.

Unlike his numerous adaptations, this film represents something special in King's repertoire. It's his first original screenplay written directly to become a movie. This creative freedom definitely allowed King to explore new territories and unleashed his imagination even further.

And while the film might not have garnered critical acclaim, it has since captured a more important thing: the heart of its viewers.

Sleepwalkers (1992) Is Your Next Guilty Pleasure

Set in a small town (as all good King stories are), Sleepwalkers follows a mysterious mother-son duo who aren't quite what they seem. They're shape-shifting creatures hunting for their next victim (a young virgin whose life force they need to survive).

It's a supernatural cat-and-mouse game that's both horrifying and darkly humorous.

King himself set the perfect expectations for this film. In an interview for Sleepwalkers he put it as:

“It's your basic down and dirty horror movie. And it has one purpose which is to scare you and entertain you and give you that experience. That funhouse experience where you scream your head off and then you laugh because you feel kind of silly.”

The film features the captivating Mädchen Amick, fresh from her iconic role in Twin Peaks, bringing the same magnetic screen presence that made her a 90s television sensation. Her performance as the unsuspecting target adds layers of depth to what could have been a simple horror trope.

Fans Love Sleepwalkers Despite Critics’ Harsh Reviews

While critics may have missed the mark, horror fans have been praising this film for years now. As homerghost on Twitter wrote:

SLEEPWALKERS is a criminally underrated Stephen King adaptation. It's loads of fun. Great 90s aesthetic. Madchen Amick and Alice Krige are hypnotic. Enya before the Fugees did it. And it has King and Clive Barker on the same screen (along with some other surprise cameos!) pic.twitter.com/FX1C4CNX55

— Homer Ghost (@homerghost) June 6, 2020

Another passionate fan, LiberLilith on Reddit wrote:

“Awesome film with a great soundtrack. I watched this when it first released on VHS and loved it. There's a few director's cameos at the start too (John Landis, Clive Barker, Tobe Hooper, and one from Stephen King). Slightly tongue in cheek in places, but still has some nice practical gore effects and pretty fucked up storyline. Plus you have the stunning Mädchen Amick in the lead role, probably coming off her run on Twin Peaks. Highly recommended and underrated.”

Don't let that 29% Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. Sleepwalkers is a perfect example of why numbers don't really matter that much. It's a film that deserves its moment in the spotlight.

So if you're ready to experience this underappreciated gem for yourself. You can catch Sleepwalkers right now on Sky Store, Amazon Video, or Apple TV+.